Infineon’s TPM Security Chips Are First to Receive Global TCG and Common Criteria Certification and UK Government Approval; Showing World Trust in Infineon Security Expertise for PC and Data Network Protection

Dec 8, 2009
| Technology Media

Neubiberg, Germany - December 8, 2009 - Infineon Technologies AG (FSE: IFX / OTCQX: IFNNY) today announced it is the world’s first semiconductor provider of TPM (Trusted Platform Module) security chips that successfully passed most stringent security tests currently defined for PC security. The Trusted Computing Group (TCG), an impartial not-for-profit organization, confirmed that Infineon’s TPM is “TCG Certified”. The TCG certification is based on the international security standard “Common Criteria” and on TCG’s own compliance tests. Compliance and security evaluation according to the Common Criteria standard effectiveness level of “moderate” for evaluation assurance level (EAL) 4+, as achieved by Infineon’s TPM, is considered to be essential for continued success as a chip supplier for PC security applications.

“In order to foster compliant and secure product implementations, the TCG recently launched its ‘TPM Certification Program’. The program demonstrates compliance and security evaluation of products and identifies those that have successfully passed all its requirements,” said Scott Rotondo, President and Chairman of the Trusted Computing Group. “That Infineon is the world’s first semiconductor provider that has successfully passed our TPM Certification Program underlines Infineon’s leading role in hardware-based security.”

Further to the Infineon TPM's successful CC and TCG certification, the company has worked closely with CESG to ensure that the product meets strict UK Government requirements for protecting security critical data. CESG is the UK National Technical Authority for Information Assurance.

The close working relationship between CESG and Infineon has enabled the first in depth, fully impartial assessment of a TPM's security from development through deployment. CESG has assessed that the Infineon TPM is suitable to protect security critical data at Business Impact Level 3 (e.g. RESTRICTED classified data). This makes Infineon the sole provider today of TPMs that are fully compliant with the strict UK-specific requirements.

”Partnering with industry is critical for CESG, which has a key role in aggregating the UK Government’s Information Assurance (IA) requirements, to gain assurance in commercial IA products and reduce reliance on expensive bespoke systems,” said Nick Hopkinson, CESG’s Director General for Information Assurance and Security. “The cooperation with Infineon is a significant first step in enabling the use of Trusted Computing technology in UK government networks.”

To strongly authenticate authorized notebook and desktop PC platforms and to securely store keys and passwords, the Infineon TPM, the SLB 9635 TT 1.2, offers hardware-based security features. Integrated onto the motherboard of a mobile or stationary PC, Infineon’s TPM helps shield the stored data against unauthorized access, provides strong authentication and improves the system integrity. In government applications, it enables more secure data storage and secure online information exchange while protecting privacy.

TPM is one of the backbones of PC data security

“According to our research tracking TPM penetration in client PCs and x86 servers, nearly 80 million of these systems shipped with a TPM in 2008,” said Shane Rau, Director of PC semiconductor research at US market research company IDC. “By the end of 2009, we believe the number will approach 100 million systems.”

“Infineon’s commitment to security standards can be seen by our speed in bringing fully compliant products to market so quickly after completion of the TCG Certification Program to accelerate market penetration of security technologies,” said Thomas Rosteck, Vice President and General Manager, Chip Card & Security Division at Infineon Technologies. “Infineon will continue innovation focusing on security. Our aim is to develop state-of-the-art chips that will support tailored security for the data later stored on them and offer the right level of certified security that the respective application needs.”

About Infineon

Infineon Technologies AG, Neubiberg, Germany, offers semiconductor and system solutions addressing three central challenges to modern society: energy efficiency, communications, and security. In the 2008 fiscal year (ending September), the company reported sales of Euro 4.3 billion with approximately 29,100 employees worldwide. With a global presence, Infineon operates through its subsidiaries in the U.S. from Milpitas, CA, in the Asia-Pacific region from Singapore, and in Japan from Tokyo. Infineon is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: IFX) and in the USA on the over-the-counter market OTCQX International Premier (ticker symbol: IFNNY).

Information Number

INFCCS200912.015

Press Photos

Infineon's TPM Security Chip, the SLB 9635 TT 1.2, is the first to receive global Trusted Computing Group (TCG) and Common Criteria Certification.